With the rise of fuller-coverage, comfortable bikini briefs for women, it’s high time for a top-drawer upgrade. We did the legwork of trying dozens of pairs

NEW YEAR’S EVE, blind dates, snowy weather and shopping for underwear all rate as experiences that are fun in theory but are rarely so in reality. In my experience, the most challenging pair of skivvies to stock is the everyday panty. When I emailed a group of friends asking if anyone had a preferred brand, one replied that she felt frustrated with underwear “at a global level.” Anna Furman, 27, a San Francisco-based writer, wrote, “I want seamless underwear that’s slightly stretchy but doesn’t feel like workout material—a not-thong-but-not-granny panty.”